Babysitting Bonds
by Raula
Summary: Severus Snape,Remus Lupin,Sirius Black,and Peter Pettigrew are entrusted by James and Lily Potter to babysit little Harry.But what will they find when they return? Friendship...or a burning building? JK Rowling owns Harry Potter! *Sigh*
1. Chapter 1

Please Review…or at least…view;)

"Lily, you really must teach this thing some manners." Severus Snape huffed at his, once again, best friend as he avoided a clump of mash potatoes flying towards his head at a surprising speed.

"Sev! _He's_ only four months old, and _his _name is _Harry_." She said looking lovingly at food-covered, round-faced brat.

"Well when I was a four month year old I don't remember being quite so…" Severus paused and reevaluated what he was going to say, as Lily's glare pierced him "quite so… _charming_." Severus sneered sarcastically at the raven-haired baby in front of him.

Lily shook her head and looked towards the ceiling. Severus knew what she was thinking "_Lord help us."_

Severus sighed, and once again picked up the small plastic spoon. "Eat." He commanded pointing the mush-filled spoon toward the small infant's mouth.

Lily tsked at him. "Severus you can't order him to do something, you have to persuade him with gentle noises and…lots of_ kissies_!" Lily instructed while ambushing her child in adoring kisses. The boy giggled delightedly.

"I don't do…_kissies._" Severus shook his head as Lily gave her son one last kiss on the head.

"Just try to show him some compassion, _don't you give me that look Severus Snape_, I know you're quite capable." Lily smiled at her best friend as he put on, what Lily called, his 'pouty face.'

"Fine."

Severus tried and put his best 'compassionate' face on. "Okay, you little…Rascal…open up…" Severus lifted the spoon up and, to his surprise, the little tike opened up, then promptly spat it out all over Severus.

"You little Beast!" Severus glared at the smiling child "Listen up Potter-Spawn, I-"

"SEVERUS!" Lily brandished, her hands on her hips. Calming down she demanded "Do not call him that!"

Severus leaned over and looked the child in his beautiful green eyes and whispered "Potter-Spawn."

"SEV! Stop, you're going to confuse him!"

Severus looked over at the laughing child and smiled "See…he likes it…"

Lily threw her hands up and walked into the kitchen to continue making dinner. Lily couldn't help but smile at how she now had her best friend back in her life. And how her James was being understanding and supportive…or, at least trying to be…but it was progress.

As Lily chopped carrots (she thought carrots and other foods tasted well handled with a personal touch, rather than just waving a wand) and she began to reminisce in how her renewed friendship with Severus all began…

_Lily Potter walked along the endless aisles filled with muggle foods, since she was muggleborn she felt comfortable being in the muggle filled store. Feeling confident, she took her time examining the oranges while little Harry sat in the cart, with a feeingl of contentment as he sucked on an avocado. Lily shook her head at her son, but couldn't help but smile at her little troublemaker. 'Well,' she thought as she continued inspecting the fruits 'when life gives you avocadoes, make guacamole.' What happened in the next few moments, Lily couldn't say, one minute Harry was there sucking happily on his avocado, then the next minute he wasn't there at all._

"_Harry!" Lily quickly looked up and down the aisle, then looked in every aisle, then ran all over the store. Lily couldn't find any employee all that willing to help her look. Lily began desperately calling for Harry. 'Wait,' she thought 'the toy aisle!'_

_Lily raced to the toys, but there was no need because coming from that direction was a tall, lanky man dressed in complete black, walked towards he,r a smiling Harry in his arms._

"_Severus?" Lily looked up into his dark, sleep deprived eyes. Severus stood there and held Harry awkwardly in his arms. _

"_Um…this belongs to you…" Severus passed Harry to Lily, Lily held her child close._

"_But…what are you doing here?" Lily asked still trying to process what just happened. _

_Severus held up a roll of toilet paper helplessly, a sheepish look on his face. "Even sorry gits, like me have to come out of their slimy holes sometime." _

_Lily laughed. She couldn't help it. Then she was sobbing. She couldn't help it. And Severus was holding her, not bothering to keep his own tears back. And of course with all the tension, little Harry began to cry too. Eventually a worker had to ask then to leave because they were disturbing the other customers. And well…something just…clicked. _The pain was gone, yes there were still scars. But Lily and Severus wanted nothing more than to forgive and move on...

"Lily! Ow! You…stop…Lily!" Severus called from the kitchen table. Lily snapped out of her memory, and turned to look at one of the most adorable moments ever. Harry had some how manged to get a good, firm grip on Severus's nose and was pulling with surprising strength.

"Get this thing OFF!" Severus yelled, attempting to pry Harry's small chubby fingers off his nose with no success. Harry continued to giggle and Lily clutched her gut laughing at the scene in front of her.

"Awww…you guys are bonding! Hold on…hold on…I need to get my camera!" She said darting towards the kitchen door, only to be beaten to it by James Potter walking in.

Everything froze. Only Harry remained oblivious to the tension in the room. His hand still pulling on Severus's hooked nose. James took in the scene in front of him, looking at wife, then at his son, and finally his eyes rested on Severus Snape…And he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

The tension was immediately broken. Lily ran upstairs, got her camera , and took many pictures of her Harry and Severus. Severus pouting, and James standing next to him, one hand on the back of his chair, and strangely, it looked like Severus didn't mind that at all.

Lily smiled. _Phase 1: Get James to like (or at least accept) Severus…complete._

_Now, Stage Two: The rest of the Marauders… _

This was sort of a prologue (I know sometimes I really hate those things) to explain what's happening…now the real story begins…


	2. Chapter 2

Hope you like it…or I hope this at least makes you feel _something_.;)

"What do you need a honeymoon for? You've both obviously already had sex with each other." Severus pointed to the sleeping baby in James's arms.

James stood there, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. Lily dropped the suitcases by the door and walked into the living room. "There's more than just sex on a honeymoon Severus."

Severus covered his ears "Oh bloody…there's more to it?"

Lily sighed. James was looking more uncomfortable. And Severus felt like he was going be sick at the thought of James and Lily…okay NOW he was going to be sick.

"May I use the loo?" Severus gagged.

"Sure, you know where it is." Lily was suddenly very concerned for her greenish looking friend.

Severus quickly hurried up the stairs to compose himself, as soon as the bathroom door was shut and locked, the front door burst open to reveal three smiling young men.

"Hey! Where's my favorite Godson!"

"Shhhh!" Lily and James quickly pointed to the sleeping Harry in James's wing.

"Oh, sorry," Sirius whispered and put the large pile of toys he had gotten Harry on the floor, Remus deposited the books he was looking forward to reading Harry on the sofa, and Peter Pettigrew carried in all the snacks and butterbeer they would be consuming this weekend.

"So are you guys excited?" James asked his three best friends, who were practically hopping around like the children they used to be.

"I found some wicked things that I think Harry will love, I know there are some warnings, but-"

"I've brought books to read that I think he'll enjoy and-"

"Snacks, is what I brought, I mean…babysitting is a serious job, we could get hungr-"

"Lily, I took the privilege of restocking your toilet paper rolls, there's no need to thank…" Severus Snape paused near the bottom of the stairs, staring at the scene in front of him.

The three men stopped there ramblings that collided into each other's, and gaped at the horrid memory of their Hogwart days, standing at the bottom of the staircase.

Everything happened at once, Sirius, Remus, and Peter's wands were pointing at Severus, a curse settled on Severus's lips, Harry had woken up from all the racket and his curious eyes looked around the room. He smiled, everyone he loved was here…and Peter.

"STOP!" Lily yelled, making small tears bubble up in Harry's eyes. James quickly put his son down on the floor near the large pile of toys and put a calming hand on Lily's shoulder.

Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew glared at the greasy-haired, sallow man. But they put their wands down as told. They then, looked to Lily and James for an explanation of why their childhood enemy was currently restocking toilet paper in their lavatory. Sirius looked angry, Remus looked confused, and Peter…was just looking back and forth between them and Severus, preparing to jump out of the way if a fight began.

"Look guys, Severus is our…" James held his breath looking from his bewildered best friends to a sneering Severus, and then finally to Lily looking up at him, with those big green eyes… "Severus," he began more boldly "is our friend."

"And he should be treated" He went on as he saw the shock written across their faces (Severus included) "as such."

"But James…he's a-" Sirius looked at Lily's glare and understood that he should stop talking.

Remus was quiet and still, but his thoughts were racing and stumbling around for an explanation. His thoughts became less confused and more curious as he looked at the tall man, no longer a boy. Remus flipped through his memories of Severus Snape and wondered if, maybe, there was more to the sullen and sneering man.

"_So,"_ Peter thought "_Severus Snape is a friend to the Potter's, this is something the Dark Lord will not be pleased to hear about…how his perfect little Snape, isn't so obedient after all." _Peter smiled nastily at the thought of the praise he will be awarded when he exposes who Severus Snape really is.

"Now, I say we all bury the hatchet, and move on." James finished with a smile and a clap of his hands.

"I left the emergency numbers on the fridge, Mrs. Bean is just across the street if you need anything of importance, and you'll be able to reach James and me at any time. I'm sure you all know how to feed Harry properly by now…" She gave a pointed look at Severus "and I'm sure you're all more than capable of watching over our little fawn."

Lily bent over to pick up Harry who, instead of playing with the toys, was covered in wrapping paper and having the time of his life. She covered her small child in kisses and whispered a teary goodbye. James took Harry from her arms threw him in the air and caught him with a twirl. Harry giggled with joy. He kissed the top of Harry's head and deposited him Remus's arms, waking him up from his notions. James picked up the suitcases as Lily continued to pour reminders on the distressed men.

"Lily they'll be fine." James said, attempting to open the door with his foot.

"Alright, alright…" Lily sighed and opened the door for James.

"Lily, WAIT!" What was happening seemed to have dawned on Severus, for he clung onto Lily's arm like a child. "Don't leave me alone with these SAVAGES!" He begged.

"Yeah, you can't leave us alone with THAT!" Sirius clung to Lily's other arm and pointed at Severus.

"Now I'm sure you'll all get along for Harry's sake…and your own." She eyed the four men who all still had some growing up to do.

She extracted her arms from Severus's and Sirius's grasp, then walked over to Peter and gave him a small peck on the head, then kissed Remus on the cheek, then a smiling Harry once more, then a pouting Sirius, then stood and looked at Severus.

She lifted herself to where she was on her tip-toes and gave a small kiss to Severus on both cheeks. She looked him in the eyes. And remained silent. But the silence spoke volumes to Severus Snape and knew that he would not fail her again.

Lily walked towards the door, smiling at the different personalities, and unlikely friends, and then the door shut. James shrunk the suitcases, placed them in his pocket, and then reached out a hand to Lily.

As they apparated away Lily couldn't help but see that the expression on James's face reflected her own thoughts.

'_What the Hell have we done?' _

The men turned towards each other and all had one thought as they lookef at the opposing side, and a burping Harry.

'_What the Hell have they done?' _

_Yes Snape is a Death Eater like in the book; I will explain a little more about how that works out next chapter. ;) Sorry for confusion and/or the likes of it._


	3. Chapter 3

Listening to The Remus Lupins "Fate of Severus Snape"

_Lily walked towards the door, smiling at the different personalities, and unlikely friends, and then the door shut. James shrunk the suitcases, placed them in his pocket, and then reached out a hand to Lily._

_As they apparated away Lily couldn't help but see that the expression on James's face reflected her own thoughts._

_'__What the Hell have we done?' _

_The men turned towards each other and all had one thought as they looked at the opposing side, and a burping Harry._

_'__What the Hell have they done?' _

TEN MINUTES LATER…

"So Snape, or should I say, _Snivellus_, how have you been?"

"I am quite well actually. How have_ you_ been Black…rotting in your own vulgar existence, I presume?"

"You're still the bitter sour-faced git, I see."

"And you're still the thoughtless, bothersome, arrogant, torturing toe-rag I notice."

Remus put Harry down and walked over to the two quarrelling men. _'Did we really hate each other this much?' _Remus thought about it. Sure they hated Snape and Snape hated them, but how far had the teasing gone? It wasn't really _torture_… was it?

Remus thought about something he promised he would never dwell upon again…the incident that almost made him a murderer. His thoughts drifted back to the Whomping Willow.

'_Sirius almost got Snape murdered_.' A voice in his head spoke up.

"_But he didn't mean it,"_ he tried in vain to defend his rebellious friend from himself.

"_Who the hell sends someone into the jaws of a monster like you to be killed…and doesn't mean it?"_

Remus shook his head, trying to make the voice in his head shut up. _"Great,"_ he thought sarcastically _"now I'm hearing bloody voices in my head."_ Making a mental note to get that taken care, he strode up to the angry men, seeing that Peter was quite content on hiding behind the sofa. Remus would have to take matters into his own hands.

"Alright, that's enough you two!" Remus said with more confidence than he actually felt.

"Oh look, Lupin the cowardly werewolf has come to set us straight!"

"Leave him alone, you over grown bat!" Sirius growled.

"Sirius stop," Remus warned as Sirius's fingers twitched for his wand.

"As much as I would love to leave you two mutts rolling in your own filth-" Severus stopped in mid-sentence, his face had gone from sallow to devoid of color and life.

"Severus," Remus asked in sudden concern at the foreboding gaze on Severus's face and how he hadn't continued what was sure to be a witty affront. Had Sirius done something? He hadn't even touch his wand…"Are you-?"

"I am fine," Severus said mechanically "I will be right back."

Severus barely made it two steps before he fell to the floor in pain, clutching his burning left arm. Gasping, he struggled to get up, until two pairs of arms lifted him by the elbows and placed him on the soft sofa.

Remus's face emerged from Snape's blurred vision, hovering on the edge of the blurry lines was Sirius's face, sloping and rising like he was looking into a fun-house mirror. The image of Sirius's so-called 'perfect' face contorted into a disgusting form would have made Snape laugh, but now it just made him want to vomit.

"Severus what's-"

"Vial," Snape choked out "in my pockets…"

Remus quickly found the crystal vial in Snape coat pocket and lifted it to Severus's lips. Severus downed the light purple liquid in one gulp. He spluttered a bit, but the life in his moral fiber gradually returned and his glare steadied.

"Here, let me run a quick diagnostic spell to make sure everything's okay." Remus spoke carefully and quietly, as if he was talking to an injured animal. Severus remained silent. He knew what had happened. His mark sizzled lightly, but thanks to the remedy Albus Dumbledore himself had prepared and given him, it only somewhat made him want to scream in agony, curl up into a ball and die.

'_Albus Dumbledore.'_ Severus thought with a sigh. _'Headmaster of Hogwarts…and the only one who has a chance of beating the Dark-no' _Severus quickly reevaluated himself _**'Voldemort**_**.**_'_ Albus was the one Snape had run to, begging to be forgiven. Of course Albus hadn't believed him at first…but eventually the old forgiving, lover of loving, coot had accepted him to the Order of the Phoenix. No one else could know though, especially not Voldemort. The lilac concoction was one that Albus had been working on; it would silence the burning of the mark and protect him if he were to be punished by the Cruciatus Curse.

"Has it been tested?" Severus had asked the shrewd old man, dressed in lavender robes with gold and silver striped ribbons flowing around him. He looked over his half moon speckles, his bright blue sparkling.

"I believe dear Severus," He had begun, smiling "that you will have the indubitable honor of being the experimental factor. Isn't that exciting?"

'_Indubitable honor?_' Severus thought with a snort _'More like damnable sentence.'_

The first potion had no affect on him whatsoever, the second succeeded in giving him a rash in a dreadfully…uncomfortable location; the third try only delayed the pain of the Cruciatus Curse, and the fourth only made the rash worse.

'_Well,'_ Snape thought as he came back from his reminiscing and watched Remus search for his own wand _'26__th__ times a charm_.'

Remus looked through his tattered pockets but couldn't find his wand. "I just had it…" He patted his thighs and chest looking all around for it.

"Uh, Remus…I think I found your wand." Sirius pointed to the giant wad of wrapping paper.

Harry was currently wielding Remus's wand around, giggling, he sent little sizzling red sparks whirling around the tip.

"LUPIN! You gave the Potter-spawn YOUR WAND!"

"He must've taken it out of my pocket-!"

Harry swished the wand at the couch, sparks hopped all over it, then sizzled and exploded. The couch itself shook then erupted into fire. Peter, who had been hiding behind said couch, took off running attempting to get to the safety of the kitchen. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending how you look at it) he never made it. Harry jabbed the wand in Peter's direction, it looked as though his feet were ripped out from under him, his legs dangled towards the ceiling as gravity abandoned him. His head bobbed around and his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"Harry," Sirius said sternly, Harry's head turned and smiled at his Godfather. "Put Peaty down."

Harry did as he was told.

Peter zoomed towards the ground, "BANG!" His head hit the unforgiving wooden floor. The rest of his body fell in a sort of sluggish manor, and then his limbs hit the floor with a 'thump.'

The three stared in shock and horror, and then gathering their wits, Sirius and Remus ran to their unconscious friend. Severus slowly followed, trying to stop the nauseous feeling in his head and the unwelcome lurch of his stomach.

He got on his knees next to Remus, as Sirius ran a diagnostic spell on Pettigrew.

"He'll be fine," Sirius heaved a sigh of relief. Then looked at Remus and smiled.

"Now where's that little heart-stopper?"

Remus looked to Severus, seeing that Severus didn't have Harry, he turned back to the pile of wrapping paper.

Nothing.

The three men looked at each other as a loud giggling bellowed off every wall in the house.

"Oh no," Remus put his face in his hands.

"Okay let's look what we're up against," Sirius said putting a hand on Remus's shoulder. "A little baby against three adult wizards."

"But Sirius, he has my wand…think about the harm he could do to himself."

Fire shot up from the floor out of nowhere. The flames gave a crackling "HISSSSSS" the men quickly jumped out of the way, only to be hit by gummy bears falling from the ceiling. The little flickering fire on the couch quickly turned into an inferno. Fireworks shot out from the cushions, exploding in the air then sputtered to the floor, only to come up again as bubbles.

It took the men over an hour to extinguish the fires and stop the raining gummy bears from pelting their heads. Eventually the fireworks ended leaving the room in an ashy mess.

They sat down on the burnt and torn couch, huffing and puffing.

Severus spoke first. "Think about the harm he could do to himself," Severus snorted as he repeated Remus's words. "Think about what he's going to do to us."


	4. Chapter 4

"Now what are you doing!"

It was more of a demand than a question, because Severus Snape was a man who detested _not knowing_. Or admitting it. He especially detested _not knowing_ where the Boy Wonder Potter scampered off to. He glared at the shaggy man who (in his mind) was responsible for the absence of the child and his present throbbing headache. Severus wasn't as worried as he should have been though, all the doors and windows were securely locked, which meant that if Harry was still giggling annoyingly that it was somewhere in this house. Remus Lupin was currently placing marshmallows in a neat line leading from the living room to the top of the stairs of the Potter's home. He froze as Severus's glare met his feeble attempt to be friendly.

Remus smiled. Severus sneered. Remus's smile vanished.

Sirius Black (a thing that Severus despised more than not knowing) looked up from his brutal challenge of heaving the monstrous unconscious carcass known as Peter Pettigrew from the floor to the mildly destroyed sofa. He only succeeded in getting half of Peter on the couch. Peter's left arm and leg hung off and half of his belly hung off as well, threatening to send him over the edge.

Sirius huffed, wiping the sweat off his brow "What'cha up to Remy?" Sirius looked at Remus curiously as the lycanthrope shuffled shyly down the stairs.

Remus looked at Sirius and Severus. His mouth opening and closing, something clutching and tugging his insides prevented him from talking. Remus hated when this happened, being at the center of attention. He couldn't help it; ever since he was bitten…he couldn't stand anyone looking at him for very long. He froze up and could do nothing but stand in horror. Sometimes it would happen at the most random times. Like in school when he was called to answer a question he knew by heart or when a group of girls would giggle whenever the Marauders walked by. Remus could remember a time at Diagon Alley when a polite old lady offered up a Knut he had dropped. That situation wouldn't have bothered him, an old lady he could handle, unfortunately he was by the counter and everyone in the store looked up to see what was holding up the line. If James and Peter hadn't walked in he probably would've been stuck in that horrified unmoving position all day, until someone in the angry line of customers decided to remove him.

Remus looked at Sirius helplessly; Sirius understood that look and his eyes softened a bit. "It's all right Remus, take your time."

Severus turned away from the dumb-struck idiot to look at the reckless idiot. As Severus's gaze swiveled from Remus, Remus took a breath and relaxed.

"Harry likes marshmallows; I mean he _really_ likes marshmallows, we could make a trail and maybe we could lure him to the living room…" Remus trailed off with a shrug, hoping that the idea wasn't as stupid as it sounded coming from him.

Sirius was smiling encouragingly and Severus wasn't looking completely…disgusted. Remus took that as a good sign and smiled. He threw a few marshmallows in Sirius's direction. They stuck together in a ball and sailed over Sirius's outstretched hands and into a vase, sending it over the edge and shattering to the floor.

"I'm surrounded by imbeciles!" Severus clutched his throbbing head, strode over to Remus and snatched the bag of sweets from him. Severus grabbed a handful of the revolting sticky masses and began throwing them all over the floor, grumbling about idiots and their uselessness to society.

Remus sighed, reaching for his wand to repair the broken vase, only to realize that it wasn't there. His ears turned red as he remembered that Harry had his wand. Embarrassment turned into worry. What were they going to tell James and Lily if they couldn't find Harry? What would happen if _James and Lily_ couldn't find Harry? Remus knew from experience in playing hide-and-go-seek with Harry, that if Harry wanted to be lost he would stay that way. Remus couldn't help but smile though, at Sirius and Severus arguing over the bag of marshmallows. He stifled a laugh as the bag ripped and sent marshmallows flying everywhere. He walked over to the yelling gentlemen to pick-up the mess and spread it out.

'_Oh well_," Remus exhaled noisily getting on his knees '_at least it's a start_.'

_**Sorry it's short, but I will continue! Please R&R **_


	5. Chapter 5

"We've been at this for two hours." Sirius groaned

Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black currently were sitting back to back watching intently for any sign of movement from the trails of marshmallows they had laid out. They sat behind the abused couch, next to Peter, who gurgled contently in his unconscious state.

Severus tried to look as dignified as possible with his legs crossed on the floor, and his chin high in the air looking from Remus and Sirius and the trail of marshmallows with irritation.

"I don't know about you blokes, but I'm starving…" Sirius turned to get up, but Severus grabbed his arm forcing him to land back down on his rear-end.

Severus let go of his arm with disgust. "Do you want to give away our position!" Severus turned around to scan the marshmallows, and with quick accuracy, counted all of them.

"There's one missing."

Sirius scoffed "You're mad," but Sirius stayed where he was looking around for any sign of movement.

"Shut up," Severus ordered then listened intently. Was it just him or did he hear…rumbling?

"GRRRRROOWL!"

"What the hell IS THAT?" Severus looked around frantically, pulling out his wand, ready for some hideous creature.

Remus stifled a chuckle, while Sirius held his stomach sheepishly. "I told you I was hungry."

Severus stuffed his wand back in his coat pocket, "Lupin, would you be so kind to get that disgusting creature some food."

Sirius opened his mouth to reply that Remus didn't have to do a damn thing Snape said, but Remus was already half way across the room, half crouching, he picked up some of Peter's bags of crisps, and was half way back to their little hiding place.

Sirius shook his head at Remus, but Remus just shrugged, and handed him the bag of chips.

"RRRRRING, RRRRRING!" A small bell like noise erupted from the telephone in the kitchen. Sirius got up, ignored Severus's glare, and went to go pick it up. Remus followed and, reluctantly, Severus followed as well.

"Potter's Residence, how may I help you?" Sirius asked charmingly.

"Sirius? Sirius, it's me, Lily."

"It's for you!" Sirius shoved the receiver at Severus.

"Hello?"

"Sev! Hey, how are you?"

"Lily, it's…three in the morning."

"Oh, sorry…but it's not here in _Australia_!"

"Au-_Australia_? You and Potter went to _Australia_?"

"What's wrong with Australia?"

"Nothing…I just thought you two would go somewhere more…"

"More…?" Lily prompted.

"Never mind, why are you calling?" Severus flinched at the harsh tone he used with her.

Lily pretended to ignore it, but the hurt was still evident "Oh, well…I wanted to talk to Harry, but I guess he's asleep…right?"

"Oh, um…yeah." He mumbled.

"Severus…?" Lily knew Severus only mumbled when he didn't want to tell her something.

"You really called to talk to Harry?" Severus questioned, Lily's not an idiot, she would have known about the time difference.

"Okay, you caught me; I was calling because I was nervous…"_ Damn Lily's maternal instinct!_

"Ha! So you don't trust me with your child!"

'_With good reason,'_ Severus thought with a guilty knot in his stomach.

"I'm sorry Severus, this is just the first time I've left Harry alone for so long…So everything's okay then!"

"…"

"Severus?"

"Yes?"

"Everything's okay…_right?_"

"Everything's…" Severus began hissing and swiped the bag of muggle chips out of Sirius's hand. He crumbled it into the phone, and yelled in choppy sentences "Sorry….can't-hear….CALL-YOU-BACK!" He hung up.

"Nicely handled, Dr. Smooth…" Sirius commented taking back the chips.

"Thank you, Nanny Sarcasm." Severus sneered.

"Oh, now _I'm_ the sarcastic one!"

"Oy! Guys!" Remus shook both their shoulders from behind and pointed to the staircase leading to the second-floor.

Severus squinted, but couldn't see anything unusual about a staircase. He was just about to tell Remus off, when he saw a quick movement out of the corner of his eye.

Was it him or did that marshmallow just…_twitch._

He was just about to point this out when, _SWOOSH!_ Like a flash, the carpet under Remus was pulled from him; Remus fell and got a face full of floor. The rug slithered up the stairs, carrying the plumb gooey sweets with it.

"Ack!" Sirius ducked as the marshmallows on the floor began zooming around the room. Knocking over picture frames of Lily and her family, expensive-looking lamps and vases smashed to the floor. There shattering remains scattered around, drapes were ripped, and the remaining light bulbs flicked on and off, making it impossible for the three men to tell up from down. The vicious treats pelted them like missiles. Severus tore his wand from his pocket and pointed at the moving targets.

_"What am I going to do?"_ Severus thought frustrated _"Avada Kadavra them?"_

But just then, like a flurry of pigeons, the marshmallows soared to the top of the stairs and on to attack the second floor.

"FOLLOW THOSE MARSHMELLOWS!" Sirius shouted.

Severus was going to make a snide comment about Gryffindors and their ridiculous catchphrases, when he realized that they actually _were_ going to follow those marshmallows.

Sirius pulled out his wand and skillfully made his way up the stairs without a sound, Severus followed him, his wand also at the ready and Remus, improvising, grabbed the broken lamp and, holding it like a bat, he made his way up the stairs after Sirius and Severus.

Once they all reached the top, they looked down the hall and noticed the lavatory door ajar and a muted sapphire light seeping through the crack.

Sirius motioned with his hand to Severus and Remus to stay close, and then they slowly made their way to the peculiar glow. Formerly they made to the door; Sirius put a hand up to stop the cluster. He put down one finger, then another, he counted down until…

"NOW!"

Sirius and Severus rammed the door, the hinges squealed in protest as the door smashed into the wall. Remus lifted the lamp over his head prepared to bring it down with a smash, until he saw the source of the rampaging berserk marshmallows and the strange sapphire radiance.

In the tub sat little Harry waving Remus's alight wand merrily, marshmallows prancing before him and toilet paper under him like a little nest. Soap, shaving cream, (and other substances they'd rather not think about) were all over the floor and walls of the small loo, but Harry just giggled at the sight of the men's dumbfounded expressions.

Remus was first to break out of his astonishment, he quickly tip-toed over to the child.

"Harry! There you are!" Remus leaned over delightedly.

"Moo Mooooo!" Harry reached up clenching and unclenching his hands at Remus.

Remus picked Harry up, whirled him around and kissed the top of his head. Sirius grinned crookedly, and held Harry's hand up like a champion "A'tta boy Harry."

Severus stood at arms length and revealed "It was very…cunning of you to send us scurrying like mice Potter…maybe there is some hope for you after all." He raised his hand and stiffly patted Harry on the head.

-DOWNSTAIRS-

"Would you hurry up with those marshmallows!" Severus snapped at Black, aggravated.

"I can only do _wingardium leviosa_ on one marshmallow at a time!"

Severus palm smacked his forehead. _"I give that lout one simple task…"_

"Hey guys," Remus walked into the living room with a now clean Harry wrapped in a towel. "Do you think we should take Peter to St. Mungo's or something…?"

Severus looked over to the comatose form of Pettigrew. A thin line of greenish yellowish slime had dribbled from his cracked lips down his chin with a gurgled sound. A thick purplish vein throbbed against his saggy watery-looking skin.

Severus shrugged "He looks fine to me."

"Are you kidding! Look at him, we have to do something!"

"Alright, alright quit you're incisive whining!" Severus rubbed his temple where another migraine had started up. "I know a potion that may help, but we require certain ingredients that I do not believe the Potters currently have."

Remus set Harry down near his pile of toys, "alright then, you and Sirius go down to the shop and pick up what we need and I'll stay here and watch over things." Remus tilted his head over to Harry who currently was throwing toy blocks at Peter's head.

Sirius and Severus were both about to protest, but Remus cut them off.

"Look you two, Severus; you know the ingredients and Sirius you'll be able to carry more than me, as I am not…quite up to it." Remus faltered a little at the end but stood his ground.

Sirius looked at the purplish bags under Remus's eyes and the sickly pallor of his skin. He looked almost just as bad as Peter…

Severus didn't say anything but angrily made his way to the door and held it open for Sirius,

"Lady's first."


	6. Chapter 6

The Slytherin and Gryffindor made their way down the streets of Godric Hallows, looking for a decent apothecary. It had rained while they had been looking for Harry. Sirius's shoes slapped loudly on the wet concrete behind Severus's silent ones, (much to the irritation of the bad-tempered Potions Master) but unlike his greasy-haired childhood enemy, Sirius was having a great time jumping around, sending little sparks of water onto the back of Severus's cloak and ankles. Sirius then began to grow bored of his antics and more curious as to where the shorter (tempered) man was leading them.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Sirius complained, starting to feel slightly apprehensive walking further and further into the night with the dark man.

Severus was silent, save for the unsavory sneer directed at his unwanted companion.

The usual noisy hustle and bustle of Godric Hallows was now oddly quiet and almost unbearably dismal at this ungodly hour. The silence between the two men stretched on as they walked farther from the small familiar shops and happy cottages.

Severus came to an abrupt halt, in which a scuffling of shoes told Severus that Sirius had almost rammed into him from behind at his sudden stop.

"What are-" Sirius's question was cut short as Severus turned and walked into the alley way between two bricked up shops. Sirius wouldn't have noticed it as an alley way; it was more like a rather large crack in the wall that was never properly fixed. Sirius quickly hurried on to follow Severus into the dodgy place, pulling out his wand and sliding it under his sleeve. Sirius found he had to turn sideways in order to have enough room to get into the slim opening.

Severus, who had obviously known about this undisclosed passage, was having no trouble getting through the constricting hole-seeming to be use to the tight fit. Sirius, on the other hand, was finding it a rather alarming venture. He was only a foot into the narrow alleyway and already extremely uncomfortable, and as he followed Severus deeper into the alleyway, the feeling of unease only grew.

The bricked up walls on either sides of the passage snagged and scratched against Sirius's cloak and exposed skin uncomfortably. Cobwebs brushed his nose and cheeks causing his face to itch, and Sirius could hear both his and Snape's footsteps crackle and _crunch_ on the skinny trail that sounded suspiciously like the squashing of dying cockroaches.

Sirius was beginning to regret his quick haste in following Snape in here. He had never felt so trapped in his life. Well…that wasn't _exactly_ true. There was that one time when he was six and his brother, Regulus, had locked him in a chest of drawers in their father's study…or that other time when he was thirteen and had to spend the night locked in a broom closet because Peeves the poltergeist happened to be in a glorious mood for a sick joke.

Though with those scenarios, Sirius could count on his mum to unlock the drawer when she heard him screaming or one of the Marauders to call on and bust him out, but this time it was just him…and Severus Snape-who's probably oozing with desire to see Sirius Black fall to pieces in a nervous wreck.

Speaking of the bastard, he attempted to ask Severus when they would get to wherever the hell they were going, but Sirius ended up choking on his pride and the spider webs that seemed to coil around him completely. He would not crumble to pieces in front Severus Bloody Snape…he would not give Snivellus that sick satisfaction. Sirius knew he would be fine as long as he didn't stop. _Just don't stop, keep going, don't stop and you'll be fine, don't stop, don't stop, don't…stop…_

Sirius didn't stop, he couldn't stop. Sirius walked faster trying to keep up with Snape's comfortable stride, but after a few seconds Snape seemed to disappear into the darkness ahead. Sirius called out his name, but received no reply. Sirius rubbed his eyes. His hands were shaking, or was it the walls? His forehead was wet, but his mouth was dry. His heart was pounding. "_THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!_" He could feel it in his throat, and he was sure he was going to vomit it up. _He needed to get out_. The walls were crumbling, no, _he_ was crumbling. Or was that the sky? He was so dizzy. And afraid_. He needed to get out_. His heart was pounding in his feet now. _He needed to get out_. Sirius had no idea where he was. The wall was shaking his hand and saying hello, but the bugs beneath him were in his mouth. Sirius tried to tell them they wouldn't find any water, but the cracks in the wall were eating his fingers and the spider webs ripped off his eyelids. They found the faucet and water began to pour out his eyes, but he couldn't get a taste of it because his tongue was too short. He would have kicked the wall in the crotch if his legs hadn't fallen off._ "Bloody Hell," _He thought as he looked down to see his left leg crawling away from him, and the other one twitching a few steps behind, _"Bloody Hell"_ he thought again _"those were new shoes!" _

Severus Snape's crackly footsteps stopped when he heard his name being called. Snape gave an exaggerated sigh, and then his footsteps continued, but this time toward Sirius Black instead of away.

The bloody bugger was pressed upright against the wall; his face was turned to the opposite wall in what looked like intense concentration.

"Black, get up." Severus grunted, then seeing no response, scowled "Black we haven't got all night, if you'd just move your lazy arse for just _one more second_ we'd be there already."

Nothing.

Severus pressed his wand deeply into Sirius's cheek and growled "Black! If this is some sort of sick prank…"

Sirius inclined his head to the side and mumbled something under his breath about his shoes.

Just as Snape was beginning to hex Black into oblivion, Sirius began screaming.

No not screaming-_shrieking._

"My fingers! My fingers!"

Severus instinctively grabbed onto Sirius's wrist, casting a quiet "Lumos" and tried to examine Sirius's squirming hand.

Severus flipped the hand from back to front, looked from the wrist to the fingers, then in between the fingers and even along the whole arm, but couldn't find anything wrong. _"No curse or obvious injury…internal injury perhaps?"_ Severus cast a diagnostic spell trying to figure out what was wrong with the terrified man.

Severus saw Black's elevated heart rate and began evaluating the cause. Severus took in the terrified man before him, whose screams only intensified when Snape had reached out to grab Black, who was still utterly terrified by Merlin-knows-what.

"_Damn it, he's hallucinating."_ Snape thought, relying on what little healer training he had had becoming a potions master.

"Black…" Severus tried to say in his most calm voice. Sirius had stopped screaming but was now holding his head in his hands, the look of intense pain on his face.

"Black-"Snape tried again, a bit more firmly, but Sirius only response was mumbling nonsense.

Snape, as gently as a Snape could, tried to get Sirius to his feet. Which was a fruitless plan in its self, because all Snape got was more screaming, a kick in the shin, and an even bigger headache.

"ALRIGHT!" Snape let go of Sirius's legs, and stopped attempting to drag him back toward the alleyway opening, seeing as Sirius was more content on curling up into a ball on the ground.

Snape huffed, massaging his temples; he began to think of a different strategy.

"_Think,"_ Snape deliberated "_How will you get the damn dog…"_

Snape's mind snapped upon that thought like a mouse trap catching his unlucky prey, Snape had his plan._ The dog…_

Snape had only pointed his wand for just a moment before the man shivering on the ground was no longer a man, but a large black, furry mass, with four legs and tail. Curious brown eyes looked up at the large nose staring down at him.

"Well, did it work?" Snape asked, feeling stupid for having a staring contest with a dog.

Sirius stared at Snape intensely for a moment longer (smiling inwardly, knowing he had won this contest) then tipped his nose up and then down in response.

"_Spectacular_," Snape awkwardly, but dramatically, turned on his heel and once again began to walk on as if nothing had happen.

Sixteen footsteps (and sixty-four paw steps) later, Severus stopped again this time-Sirius huffed with relief- in front a small door that blended perfectly into the wall. Snape jiggled the knob to a dark green door that had appeared suddenly before the weary party of two.

Severus pushed on the door-which thankfully opened inward instead of outward-into a dimly lit apothecary. The big black dog sniffed the air and gave a small bark.

"Shhh, shut up, they don't allow mutts like you in here. Just hurry and shift back or whatever the hell you blasted do!"

The dog snorted, but quickly trotted over to behind one of the many bookcases in the shop. A heart beat later a familiar and handsome man walked out from behind the bookcase and strolled over to the annoyed gangly potions master.

They awkwardly stared at each other for a minute or so; Sirius was opening and closing his mouth trying to figure out what to say to explain the circumstances that had occurred outside in the alleyway.

"Snape…"

"Black,"

"Outside…in the alleyway, back there…"

"What about it?"

"Ya' know…you kind of helped me out back there."

"What are you going on about?"

"…you know exactly what I'm going on about! The thing that just happened ten seconds ago!"

"I have no idea what you are referring to."

"I'M TRYING TO THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY ARSE, YOU SELF-CENTERED BIGOT!" Sirius finally lost it, having enough with Snape's confusing intentions and the night's stressful event.

Snape, looking bored, brushed this off and said "Black, I would rather slit my throat before I went even _near_ your arse, let alone save it."

Sirius's eye twitched, as Severus went on to scan the shelves. Sirius took a deep breath and looked around the small shop they were in. The first thing he noticed was all the books. Sirius noticed that this place was more of a used bookshop rather than an apothecary, as he looked at all the beaten-looking books that were lined up in no particular order on the shelves. There were so many books that most were lying in large piles on the floor. The floor was covered with a large burgundy rug that looked to be as old as Albus Dumbledore, the walls were splotchy with faded green paint that was peeling into strange shapes, and at least from what Sirius could smell everything was covered in a fine layer of dust.

There were only five people in the shop, Sirius and Snape included. One was an older man snoozing in a dark blue armchair in one corner, another was the shopkeeper that looked only a few years older than them (with a nose that could rival Snape's) walking into another dimly lit room behind the counter that must have been a loo or something, and a pretty lady that immediately had Sirius's attention.

"PSSST," Snape heard from behind.

"What is it now, Black?"

"See that girl over there."

"Yes and…?"

"She's good-looking, huh?"

"…"

"I'd give her an eight, you?"

"What?"

"Ya' know, like out of ten."

"What are you on about?"

"We're rating her on how hot she is...what you've never done it?"

Snape shook his head "once again Black, your superficial ways have managed to disgust me to the utmost degree, congratulations."

"Oh, come off it. It's harmless fun. Go on take another look at the bint, you have to give she's not very hard to look at."

The bint in question was a short, round faced woman with dark curls that bounced (annoyingly-Severus thought) against the bottom of her jaw. She leaned her body slightly against the dusty bookcase. She wasn't petite, with her pronounced curves Severus might have described her as overweight, if she hadn't had a belt around her waist to show off her hourglass-y figure. Her thin lips were pursed and her freckled nose was scrunched up slightly as she focused intently on the thick book in her hands, which-Severus had to admit-was kind of…attractive. The lady must have felt eyes on her, because she looked up from her novel and met Severus's black eyes with her light hazel ones. The little woman smiled at him, her white (and somewhat crooked) teeth stood out lovely against her olive skin.

At Severus's lack of response to the smiling woman, Sirius nudged him with his elbow and mouthed the words "do something!"

Severus sneered at Sirius, then inclined his head towards the lady and gave a stiff nod of acknowledgement.

As the woman turned, Sirius muttered "Well, don't just stand there, go talk to the bird."

"Like I need advice from a randy flea-bitten wool-sack," Severus growled.

"_Obviously_, my slime-covered, wart-polished, greasy haired git, _you do_." Sirius smiled, but as soon as Severus's wand came out, Sirius raised his hands and sighed.

"Alright, alright-just trying to help…I mean if you won't take her I'm sure I can chat her up a bit…"

"You know how you can really help me, Black?" Severus turned his attention to the cases filled with every disgusting thing known to mankind, much to his delight. "You can stop talking to me –you can just stop talking_ period_- and leave that poor woman alone so she doesn't fall for your many faults, horrid claw-chewing habits, astounding stupidity, and smutty diseases on your-"

"Bloody! Okay I get it!" Severus was pleasantly surprised to find Black looking wildly around in embarrassment, making sure she didn't hear.

"She's not really my type anyway…" Sirius shrugged, annoyingly smug, but still a little cautious of Severus's temper.

Severus scowled in disgust. "Be useful you adolescent worm, and hold these while I collect others."

After dumping some jars into Black's arms, Severus then turned his attention back to the wonderfully horrid ingredients that lay before him; Chunky Armadillo bile, the orange yoke of ashwinder eggs, hairy Billywig parts, the poisonous plant-belladonna, bubo tuber pus, fat juicy caterpillars, dead hissing cockroaches, _live_ hissing cockroaches, gooey dragon's blood, the still moist liver of a doxy, freshly slashed erumpet horns, _flobberworms- _they're the _especially_ nasty ones-and all sorts of ghastly glasses, jars, and vials filled with foggy, sick looking fluids with mysterious chunks of unidentifiable meat and other parts in them.

"_Lily's right…there is a heaven," _Severus immediately began stocking up armloads full of the stuff. Black was saying something to him but he didn't have the patience or the desire to listen as he was deeply absorbed into his own thoughts of which kind of animal droppings to put in Pettigrew's potion…

"…and I bet she's a good snog…" Sirius continues out of nowhere, smiling audaciously.

"What?" Snape's head turned towards Black in a sharp jerk, his hand that had been about to grab for the flobberworms shoved the jar off the shelf instead.

Sirius, with wicked lightening speed, snatched the jar out of thin air. He then smiled cheekily and handed it back to Severus. Snape snatched it out of his hand and slammed it back onto the shelf.

"Oi!" they heard somewhere in the store, "you break it you buy it, kid." The shop keeper yelled, having heard the slamming of the flobberworms.

Sirius snickered, while Severus gave a huff and another one of his scowls.

"Hey, she's looking at you again." Sirius whispered, not so quietly.

Snape turned and saw the woman smiling at him, and then adverting her gaze when she caught his eye.

"Oi, do you want me to ask her out for you?" Sirius looked eagerly between Snape and the girl.

Snape sneered "what are you, a first year?"

"Is that a yes?"

Snape sneered again, and Sirius rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay if you don't want me to talk to her, then why don't _you_ go talk to her."

"Why would I do that?"

Sirius looked astonished, and then smacked his palm against his forehead. "Bloody…because _she's looking at you! _And she's _hot._ And for some twisted reason, she's obliviously interested in you. _What_ other reasons do you need?"

Snape just continued shifting ingredients around, much to the annoyance of Sirius.

"C'mon, Snape, go on talk to her…"

"No," Snape said.

"Go talk to her,"

"No."

"_Talk to her_."

"_No."_

"Talk to her!"

"No."

"Bloody hell Snape, TALK TO HER!"

"Fine, damn it!" Snape stalked off towards the startled looking woman, but as she saw he was walking towards her she smiled and batted her long eyelashes.

"_Maybe, this won't be too horrible." _Snape thought as he looked back at Sirius, who was giving him a thumbs up, and then to the pretty, smiling lady in front of him.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER…

Sirius was half guiding, half carrying Snape who was now sporting a dark purpling welt along the side of his face through the narrow alleyway and onto the street.

"Bloody…friggin…pansy…swelling…piece of sh-" Snape continued cursing as Sirius led them home.

"Well, that's what you get for hitting on another man's girl, Severus."

"How was I bloody supposed to know she was the shopkeeper's girlfriend?"

"Look at the bright side, that arse was _way_ worse off, he won't be able to sit down for weeks after those curses we threw at him…"

Snape couldn't help but smile a little at that, but he quickly stopped, groaning in pain at the forming bruise on his face.

"Hang in there Severus; we'll get you some ice at the house."

Through this whole ordeal, Sirius was too busy helping Snape to notice that he had walked through the whole alleyway without so much as a flinch. And Snape was too busy being helped to notice that Sirius had called him Severus.


End file.
